Most millennials say schools not preparing them adequately for the future: Survey

Are schools doing enough to prepare students for the workforce in the future?

"No," say a majority of young Singaporeans who participated in a recent survey by Singapore-based career portal start-up Glints.

According to the survey, more than half of the 1,000 respondents (56%) believe that what they are learning in school is inadequate for the future.

Nine in 10 respondents also felt that the workforce they will be graduating into will be radically different from today's workforce.

Hearteningly, however, many of today's youth are not just taking the situation lying down.

The survey found that 78 per cent of respondents have actively searched outside of school for opportunities to gain skills for their future careers by signing up for competitions, internships and projects.

82 per cent also said that they are willing to sacrifice their personal leisure and social time to take up these opportunities.

Read also: Why a university degree is no longer a golden ticket to success in Singapore

Mr Looi Qin En, chief operating officer of Glints, said: "We are seeing an increasing number of youths who proactively pursue opportunities outside of their schools to prepare themselves for their careers. Being industry-ready is not just about resume and interview preparation workshops, but having real experiences. This is the new norm."

Mr Looi himself dropped out of his course at Stanford University to pursue his start-up, which he co-founded with two others in 2013.

Meanwhile, companies are also starting to do their bit, with more private firms changing the way they recruit young talents by offering more skills development opportunities.

For instance, multinational IT solutions company JOS organised the JOS Innovation Awards 2016-17, a competition for polytechnic and university students to brainstorm ideas about using technology to solve modern problems.

"These companies are beginning to create opportunities for students to develop and showcase their skills, while using these opportunities as avenues for talent attraction and employer branding," Mr Looi said.

seanyap@sph.com.sg